LOCATION:
Palos Verdes, California

This project is located in a rather special location. It hovers above the prestigious historical Malaga Cove. Rural parklands border the property, home to roaming peacocks in the area and mature collection of tree specimens.

Nearby Summer concerts fill the air and our Clients enjoy hosting weekly soirees for their friends who enjoy even cleaner amplified sound from the concert than if at the concert venue itself. We gently corrected some existing terraces and contoured other areas to maximize both intimate and gathering spaces on the site.

PV stone boulders were amassed by our Client over many years in anticipation of someday utilizing these as shown here as seat walls and natural sculptures, each that were meticulously crafted and set in place like puzzle pieces.

We explored vast options, some with architectural water elements, some with ponds and streams, some options that even included for a guesthouse. We, Ecocentrix and our Clients, spent considerable time sitting on site and allowing the site to inform what would eventually become the final design manifested.

Ribbons of highly contracting vegetative colors and forms make this a unique botanical experience that pulls out the rich colors from the stone, accents long lines across the site, establishes key views to the ocean, and creates a sense of discovery.

Via Pinale Gallery

“Ecocentrix did a complete redesign of our backyard. This was an extremely challenging project because of the elevation change throughout the backyard and the large-scale of the property. Ecocentrix had to include complex factors such as drainage, slope of the land, and even how sunlight falls on the site. Ecocentrix had the experience and vision to handle this difficult project.

Ecocentrix designed several options to fit within our tight budget and taste. They used different construction materials, such as stone facing, wood decking, concrete, and PV stone/boulders obtained from local construction sites. The plan was useable and real. John Feldman, the owner, put a lot of thought into our plan, prepared presentations that included cost estimates (from several reputable construction companies), provided sketches and plant palettes, and he had an appreciation for the surrounding environment.

John was personable and easy to work with. He was devoted to pleasing our taste in landscape architecture while keeping the integrity of the design consistent with the surrounding architecture and natural environment. John was able to refine and redesigned our property according to our taste.

The city in which we live has very strict codes and an Art Jury that reviews any changes on the property. The Art Jury is notorious for making the simplest of projects difficult. John was able to work with the city, interact multiple times with home association and planning department, and meet with city officials to allow the project to be permitted.

Overall, I would highly recommend Ecocentrix because of their professionalism, exception design taste, experience with multiple projects, and ability to work with small or large properties.”

Dean and Kara Herbrandson
Palos Verdes, CA